Heralding the mom-and-pop New York baseball stadium USA Today Take a look at an interesting article we found.
A Mother Steps Up to the Plate The New York Times Take a look at an interesting article we found.
Stadium Is Fabric of the Bronx' Tale Boston Herald Take a look at an interesting article we found.
People are cutting out the middleman -- the grocery store -- and buying shares of farms.
 by Peter Lake |
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 by nachista |
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 by nachista |
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July 20, 2008
I've gone to my farm in Kentucky for the weekend. It's a great place to relax, do a little hard physical labor, and forget about the rest of the world. If you don't have such a place, I highly suggest you get one.
In the meantime, here's a little something that I found for you to read with your morning coffee.
See you on Monday.
J. Peterman
Share the Eye:
How Much Can You Overpay for Yankee Memorabilia deadspin.com Take a look at an interesting article we found.
The House That Ruth Built Ballparks of Baseball Take a look at an interesting article we found.
The New Yankee Stadium Yankees.com Take a look at an interesting article we found.
Greetings: I read this post/topic last night and knew this was going to be a tough one for ...
Jul. 20, 2008 2:19 PM
I am not a New Yorker and I know very little about baseball. I was so moved by the Lou Gehrig "sitting by the pillar" portion of this article, but hesitated to post, because, well, what do you say about something like that? Which is perhaps why he sought a quiet room.
But I have to say this one thing about baseball. Today my son finished his first season of T-Ball. He is a quiet, thoughtful boy. He spent most of the season in the outfield talking to himself, glove in the grass beside him. He's my boy. There's no doubt.
His first day was horrible. He stood in the outfield, scared to death, yelling for me to come get him. And I didn't. And it KILLED me. And until today, I wasn't sure I'd done the right thing.
I watched him out on the field, #8, amongst the gang of other six-year-old boys grabbing themselves and spitting, and thought, there's just something about baseball. And men. Even when they're tiny. Love em.
Am so very sorry for Mr. Gehrig.
to:missive,
One of the most famous baseball quotes of all time came from Lou Gehrig's retirement speech at Yankee Stadium, "I'm the luckiest man alive". That's the kind of guy he was. If you haven't seen the movie "Pride of the Yankees", it's worth the trip.
I hope your son gets to enjoy the game, it has a lot of good "life's lessons" in it (which, I imagine is why there are so many baseball metaphors bandied about). Besides the athleticism of the game, it is also a safe place to experience and be taught about patience, humility, pride, sacrifice, comraderie, redemption, and most important of all, hope.
Greetings: I read this post/topic last night and knew this was going to be a tough one for me. I thought about it all night and still do not know what to say. First, most of you know how I feel about baseball. I have a 10yr old boy and an 8yr old boy. They play ball and I sponser a team. Their rooms are full of baseball stuff, signed balls, bats, jerseys, tropheys, etc. They are going to see the Braves/Cubs series next month. We are consumed by baseball. I did nothing to encourage it, it just happened.
My wifes brother was huge baseball fan. Espically the Atlanta Braves. He worked with us at the store for years as a kitchen manager and a bar manager. He was the pitcher and captian of our softball team in our small beach town. He is my sons God Parent. Good looking, soft spoken, mild mannered Southern fellow from Georiga. His name is Jay Miller.
When he was 28yrs old, he began to have trouble with his hands. This was first noticed during softball games when he would have a hard time catching the ball and then pitching it. Later, at work, he was having trouble holding things to use a knife ie: cucumbers, whole fish, etc. Then behind the bar, he would struggle to open a beer. Just couldn't seem to hold on.
After many trips to the doctor and to Duke Hospital we were all told that the diagonisis was ALS. "ALS? what the heck is ALS? Lou Gehrig's diesese. ......."
Well it was a tough few years. He took my boys to their first major league game, Braves at Turner Field and instiled in them a passion for the game. His love for the game of baseball continued on throuhout his illness. It kept him alive. Friends got together and took him back to Turner Field on two seperate occasions. Jay, unable to speak and confined to a wheel chair was taken to the club house to meet his favorite players and go out on the field. This is how my boys annual trip to Atlanta began, in memory of Jay.
This group of friends, now known as "Circle Of Friends" continues to have events, walks and fund raisers in Jay Millers name to raise money for ALS research. We work closely with the Jim "Catfish" Hunter Chapter of the ALS foundation (another baseball player from NC who had this horrible diesese) to raise money for a cure.
Towards the end, when Jay was in Hospice, he watched baseball constantly. It was the year 2005 when he watched Atlanta lose in the playoffs. He couldn't stop crying. Someone said, "Jay, it's only a game". He somehow told my wife that that would be the last time he ever got to see the Braves play baseball. He passed away shortly thereafter. He would be 35yrs old today.
J. Peterman is involved in this story. I am well aware of Mr. P's baseball history, We have spoken several times (you just don't know it). Your book helped me through a similer situation with my business. Once you had a bat that was made to Babe Ruths' specifications. I bought two, one for my infant son and one for Jay. It was in his Hospice room along with other baseball memorabilia. They're in my kids rooms now.
Lou Gehrig and Jay Miller remained strong and commited to the game they loved until the very end. Lou Gehrigs impact on our lives is felt everyday, through thoughts of Jay, watching games, fund raising, whatever.
At Jay's funeral "Center Field" by John Fogerty was played. "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play....today...." Baseball, it never was, and never will be,...."just a game."
more on the honor rollSpinner said...
C.N:
Wow... As someone who also had to endure a close friend lost to ALS, I am typing now with tears in my eyes. Nothing else to add to that.
Missive:
"I watched him out on the field, #8, amongst the gang of other six-year-old boys grabbing themselves and spitting, and thought, there's just something about baseball. And men. Even when they're tiny. Love em."
That's by far the most adorable thing I've ever heard.
Missive: [from yesterday] Who is Lovey? She's a snot-nosed teenager living in Smalltown, North Carolina who somehow found this community and decided to flaunt her infinate wisdom and glory upon the older generations. Pleased to meet you, glad to see you love me.
We've had a friend of the family die from ALS. She was a fan of baseball.
There is nothing that I can add to the comments of missive, PeterLake, Captain Neptune and Spinner.
To: Captain Neptune, I, too, found inspiration in my professional life from Mr. Peterman's book. It came at the right moment..... the moment it was most needed. Thanks for reminding me.
What a seriously awesome group of people. I have just finished reading everyone's posts and find you are so generous in sharing and with each other. I am sorry for all your losses, really.
I do feel blessed that baseball has entered my life, in the form of one very skinny #8 who thinks that the position of 'catcher' means 'you're next in line to bat.' I feel the same about this site, and I'm not gonna lie to ya'll, I get around. The internet, that is. I am tempted to NOT TELL A SOLE about this place and keep it to myself. But that will be tough.
I have decided to cut back to four hours of sleep every night so that I can maintain this new gift, as you'll see by the time stamps on my posts! Very worth it. And now, thanks to Captain Neptune and ExPat, I am inspired to read Mr. Peterman's book, as well. Two hours of sleep a night will be fine, right?
Lovey, a teenager?! Seriously? Way too smart for your own good. And funny. Knock it off, kid, and go put something in the microwave.
Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. My work week must begin early. . .
"I don't care if I never get back. . ."
Um, can I strike the above 'SOLE' and edit it to read 'SOUL?' Too much sun today. Don't show my boss, please.
To Capt Neptune,
Baseball is a strange and wonderful mindset, I'm glad that Jay had it to see him through.
I'm very happy that I have my MBA, I wouldn't trade it for a Harvard or a Wharton.
I love the game and everything it teaches.
Capt Neptune,
When and what did we talk about?
I grew up rooting for the Chicago Cubs, in spite of living in the serious Cardinal territory of small town Missouri. To say that being a Cub fan made me even more of a bully target than I already was would be putting it mildly. My father, the most devoted Cub fan I've ever met, took me and my brother to see a Cubs vs. Cards series shortly before I left for New York. Captain, I imagine you're a Braves fan, but I hope you'll put in a Cubby cheer or two for me. Missive, my favorite player, Andre Dawson, was #8.
When my father died, I saw him at the funeral home shortly before the big pre-funeral viewing. Later, once all the family and friends came in, an old-fashioned Chicago Cubs ball cap had been placed neatly in the upper left corner of the casket. Neither my brother, nor my stepmom had put it there. His secretary and fellow sports lovers hadn't put it there. No one would confess to having placed the cap in the coffin. Finally, we concluded that he couldn't stand to be buried without it so he got up and grabbed it.
As for the secret treasures of Yankee Stadium, what a beautiful story. I recently took a tour of the stadium and was all excited that I got to sit in the press box and the dugout and even got to enter the club house (verboten when the team is at home but they happened to be on the road). But, when sharing stories of the park and the team, my colleague said nothing about the Gehrig room. Now I'm even sadder about the stadium's demise.
To: missive,
Two hours of sleep? Way too much sleep! Money never sleeps, so I only nap.
Greetings: Thank all of you for reading my post. I am still teared up after re reading it. I never thought I would be coresponding with folks with my sons computer. Mr. P., you and I had several phone conversations about some unique furniture (cannoe book shelf, checkerboard table) both of which I purchased from you. In our last conversation several years ago you told me how to obtain a URAL motorcycle w/side car. Thanks for all you do and I have a great appreciation for all things J. Peterman.
DPR: There is a song by Steve Goodman entitled "A dying Cub Fans Last Request" Its very obscure but you will find it entertaining. I don't know how to give you a link but let me know if you find it.
Captain,
Thank you. I Googled the song and found a YouTube recording of it. Hilarious! Dad would have loved it.
I have yet to read Mr. Peterman's book. Perhaps I should move it higher up on the list. But, when I started becoming a serious Peterman shopper, it was specifically work clothes on which I was focused. Spending freezing winter days during the holiday season on open-topped tour buses led me to his sweaters. Hot, sunny days on those buses led me to the Hemingway cap and owner's hat. Rainy days on those buses led me to his rain gear. Small groups of tourists have been following a veritable Peterman model through New York.
Apparently a wee bit of confusion.
MBA = masters in baseball
Yankee Stadium may be the "House that Ruth Built" but it became oh so much more when it became the "Home of the Yankees" where the sounds of all those great baseball memories, on the field and off the field, still echo if you listen.
I've never been to Yankee Stadium. I've always been a die-hard, this is our year/wait ‘till next year Cub fan and have been to several games at the "Friendly Confines" of Wrigley Field. I was however, a natural White Sox / Pale Hose fan which was mandatory if you were born and lived on the on the Chicago South-Side.
I know what it's like to sit in the stands from well before game time at Comiskey Park (RIP) when you could actually smell the fresh mowed grass before it was completely overtaken by the mouthwatering scents of hot dogs, popcorn, Italian beef and Polish sausages, all the way through to the last out of a "Twilight Double Header" that had gone on into extra innings.
My Dad took me to see my first game, it was a "Twilight Double Header" at Comiskey. After that first game, he was very worried that I didn't have a good time because I was so quiet. I had to explain that I loved it so much that I was absolutely mesmerized by the whole experience.
We went to several other games after that. He would pick me up after work, we'd go straight to the ballpark, and like I said; we always stayed ‘till the last out no matter how long the games lasted or lopsided the score, even though he had to get up at the butt-crack of dawn again the next day to go back to work. We didn't get to do many things like that, just the two of us. He died when I was only fifteen so these "ballpark" memories are very precious to me. I was a lot more boisterous and animated after that first game. We both were excited. Our hands always hurt from clapping and our voices always cracked from yelling and those were some of the best days of my life.
I can only imagine the millions upon millions of similar, equally precious memories that all of the old ballparks have witnessed, and I believe still hold on to, in addition to all of the great feats and accomplishments that too place between the baselines.
I think even the most jaded among us would get a lump in their throat if they were to let their guard down at the ball park. Baseball has never been, nor ever will be "just a game". It will take some time before the new Yankee Stadium has its very own echos of cheers and memories . . . but not too long.
Capt Neptune;
What a wonderful, heartfelt post. I'll never forget it. Thank you so much for sharing this. Be very well.
gwork said...
As the mother of two grown boys and sports fan, I would like to tell you that one of the things I miss most about my kids being small is watching them play sports. There is nothing like watching your little ones play. Sometimes it is frustrating (when things don't go their way) and sometimes it's amazing (when they score all the points in soccer - even one for the other team), but mostly it's just pure fun. I was one of those parents who just loved to get to the ballfield early and watch the football (or baseball) teams warm up. Enjoy this time while you can, because it will soon be over. Time really does go by so fast.
To DPR ~ I feel your pain in being a Cubs Fan. Being one up here in WI is not the easiest either. The target for being one that beleives there's a patron saint for lost causes is often referred to yet the irony is that I liv ein Packers Country & in the 70's & 80's that's the same opinion many had about the local NFL Team. I swear if any would hav etold me when I was 8 that the Packers would win a Superbowl in the 90's I would hav elaughed in their face. Of course now i get laughed at in my belief in the Cubs. But to me there is jsut something about Wrigley Field & that team that captures my attention & always has.
Of course in 1 week I will be watching the score intently & hopefully will be able to wear my Cubs Shirt to work just to show the Brewers fans here what a "Real Teams" logo looks like. I also tel lmy husband & the guys at work I want one of these burial plots
http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2008/07/11/cubs-fans-find-their-final-resting-place/
seriously what more can a Cubs fan ask for when dead?